Skruball73

OK, well it is time for state inspection again and for a while now, the parking brake has held going backwards but not forwards...I readjusted both the left and right sides and had to make a modification to the cable at the equalizer (took small piece of pipe to use as a spacer...actually worked, now handle is tight, the way I like it) BUT the stinkin' thing still won't hold going forward, it is tighter but it still moves...for the time being I was thinking about tightening the squat out of the adjusting spindle, going to try that here in a bit, but I also read something about the shoes getting glazed..how can that be taken off if that is the case?

kenincanada

SCuff them up with some coarse sandpaper, might get you thruogh the test

NHvette

Also, make sure you have the shoes installed correctly. Most drum brakes
have a direction to the shoe (long/short space after friction material).
If you put 'em in backwards, they stop better backwards - and less so
in forward. I'm not sure if this is the case here - but worth looking into.

Just a thought, while you've got 'em out.
:seeya

Skruball73

Is it really possible to put the shoes on backwards? The last time that I worked on these things to get them to work at all, (because they didn't a little over a year ago) I had to replace some of the springs...I don't see how that could be, wouldn't the part where the cable connects to it not fit right? AND if the drivers side were on backwards, would I not feel the whole back end "bunch up" and not just the passenger side like I do now? I was under the impression that the pass. side locked up to keep from going backwords and the drivers side from going forwards, am I correct in this?

Big Fish

I just installed new stainless steel shoes in my project 75. I did not notice a difference between the front and rear shoes, they all looked the same. I would check that piece on top where the cable attaches, might be rusted up, not allowing the pivot to function. You might think the General could have come up with something better than this setup, wouldn't you? :D

virtue4u

Your car may have something different than mine, but the procedure in the Chevrolet manual got mine working again.

john's '81 mouse

Suggest you mark position of rear drum/rotor, to whell stud and remove, and clean drum, then scuff with coarse emery cloth in a swirl pattern, and then scuff the brake shoes as well..............assuming the mechanism is not rusted / frozen, and springs are good, that's about all you can do.

Skruball73

pulled the rotor lat night...that was a pain...back mounting bolt for caliper was verrrrrrry obstinant...finally got it off and the rotor to find out that yes, indeed, the mechanism that the cable attaches to was frozen up with dirt and corrosion looking stuff...money tied up in other stuff and can't get new parts right now...time to get the wire brush and clean it all up.